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Here you are a slighlty transparent play button that nicely fits in the overtly hi-tech layout of Pastebot’swebsite. For the ones interested in Iphone apps, we can add that Pastebot is the last creation released by Tapbots factory,

a powerful clipboard manager that stores text & images copied from your iPhone/iPod Touch. Organize, apply filters to, and copy clippings to be pasted or sent to other apps.

An effective, minimal and charming way to introduce your studio, your work or the philosopy underlying your materspieces could be writing it in a short introduction (or simply summarizing it with a witty quote). Even if you’re a vector virtuoso or a photoshop goddess, a nicely written text may be the way to distinguish yourself (your firm, your business, your personal recreational webpage) from many others and to make your website memorable.

Even if language is unfathomable for us and online translators are of any help, we do love this clean, minimal red and white product page from Muji Japan online store. Every block is squared, lines are perpendicular and every details is finely designed in an accurate, minimalist way: for example the beige and red callout box, with its thick red horizontal lines, really pops out in contrast with the dominating white and so does the red box on the top right.

Besides, we think that the little icons on the left side (e.g. the blue dress) showing the shop categories, are really cute.

A funny, nice search form for Kidsearch, a search engine that let children search and navigate safely through a directory of over 2000 sites in 3 languages (Italian, English and French) that have been visited and approved by the editorial staff . We love the “I’m feeling a lucky kid” button even though we think that a little bigger typography and maybe a pillowy treatment would have make the layout more kid friendly.

Fubiz is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for all of us and, even if sometimes the prev/next option is a slightly off-putting tool for browsing big galleries (yes we brave internet-moles who always want to go quickly through things), we loved the unparralled simplicity of this layout.

By the way take a look at this gallery which is a series of posters minimalists designed by Albert Exergian, representing by simple symbols the most popular series TV. Amazing stuff!

Minimalist web design it’s one of our (many) recurrent thoughts when reviewing websites. It’s really tough to come to inventive, not bare-looking solutions when you strip a website of every graphics assests and you’re not allowed to play any of the usual webdesign tricks. So we really loved this simple HTML menu, a nested list actually, with only a red dot left to grab user’s attention and to mark main navigation categories.

Tumblr is one of my favorite example of effective user interaction model. The sign up form is a masterpiece of simplicity and functionality: no confirmation fields to fill in, no threatening messagges or red alerts for mandatory informations or complicated password policy, just a minimal sets of data, a nice copy on the top, a big cushiony button on the bottom and a discrete, teasing green callout box inviting you eventually to read 24 reasons for loving Tumblr.

Pedemontana it’s the name of a new big highway system that will connect Milan to other cities of northern Italy. This website’s art direction is from Leftloft, a big communication and identity studio based in Milan: the use of many different typographic weights and styles loosens up the grid stiffness while revealing an editorial, newspaper-like, communication style.

Hitchcock is a great free font inspired by Saul Bass titles (though the lettering artist that did the lettering for the Saul Bass was Art Goodman) and we are extremely grateful to Matt Terich for having recreated all these beautiful glyphs.

If you want to see a good application of this typeface to an existing layout, you can check this Tumblr theme, we’ve recently reviewed.

When it comes to user interface patterns (or in short, design patterns) Yahoo Design Pattern Library is certainly a reference.

But it’s a good example of applied web desing patterns too: the page in fact displays a breadcrumb trail which is a nice variation of the classic slash-kind, with the wow factor added by using a graphic element instead of an ASCI character.

Christmas time is coming and since Santa last year has been quite generous with us, we think this time we could help giving him some tips.

So we’ve collected ten great online shop, with inspiring layouts too, where you may find some ideas for your gifts and some snips of beautiful web design interfaces too.

1.The Cold Feet Friend

Don’t let your friends get cold feet this year and give a look at Hunter Boots website. You will also find a nice product page with an useful magnification system.

2. Make a Designer Happy

Buy him/her something at Keep Calm Gallery (not necessarily a Keep Calm gadget, mugs are gorgeous too). The product grid is great with different available views.

3. For the Restless ones

For your restless friends, who keep on wandering all across the planet and seem never to stop, you should buy a Lonely Planet guide. It’s a good augury too. We loved as well the whole navigation system of Lonely Planet’s website: check for example the destination map page.

4. For the best Friend

At least, you have to buy two t-shirts for your best friend because Threadless tees are so cool that one is not enough. Every website’s page is quite interesting but we mostly appreciate the clearness of the checkout page.

5. A customized pair of shoes

On Nike store you can customize, with a flash tool called NikeId, colors and material of any pair of shoes and make your presents unique. That’s brilliant.

6. For the Geek ones

We know for sure there are plenty of geeks among us and obviously we are design freaks too. So we fell immediately in love with Dadadastudio‘s ecommerce website where you can buy bread shoes or pangrams bags with your favorite font on it. But hurry up cause some items are already sold out.

7. Women Only

Unfortunately. Because we think Urban Originals is a great ecommerce website with a classy palette, nice graphics, smooth Flash transitions, clean typography. Not to mention the bargains you can make there.

8. Some Friends may already have everything…

So, we’re sure they need a cargo bike to move all their stuff around. You can buy one at Madsen online shop, which, by the way, displays beautifully styled buttons.

9. Some Apple Magic won’t hurt

Could Apple Magic mouse add something to the magic of Christmas? We don’t know yet but we’re willing to give it a try. Otherwise we’ll simply enjoy the clean, light freshness of Apple Store products sheet.

10. If you still haven’t got any clue

In the end, if you didn’t get so far any clue about your Christmas presents you should give a glance at Etsy. You’ll find a ton of superb ideas browsing the vast range of this website’s categories. The navigations is basic, but clear and intuitive.

So here it ends our round-up about ecommerce websites: we really hope you’ve enjoyed our post and, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, may you all have a beautiful, peaceful, inspiring time!

a simple text processor that firmly believes in making writing a pleasure once again, vindicating the close relationship between writer and paper. The more intimate the relation, the smoother the flow of inspiration.

We loved the simplicity of its vertical menu made with rounded items overlapping and the nice simple icons that are displayed on mouse over.

PS: Though Ommwriter is currently in beta (for Mac users, at least), it’s really worth trying: writing on computer we’ll be a whole new experience for everyone.

Though comments listing are an essential asset in blog webdesign, we feel they’ve been slightly neglected here in W&P. So here you are an inspirational comments listing from Design snack, a beautiful socially-powered design gallery recently redesigned.

In this case we loved very much the bubble that comes from the avatar without disrupting the listing cohesion of the comments thread.

Let’s have a toast for our newborn inspirational category: Ecommerce websites. From now on we’re going to collect everything related to ecommerce and online shopping: buttons, carts, listing, copywriting…

For a start, here you are Plus de bulles websites, where you can find a nice crate-like cart (on the top left), a slideshow that displays the new entries or the sommelier’s suggestions and a poll-like wizard that will help you to choose the champagne brand that will suit you better.